Friday
About Us
We are neighbors of Sapsucker Woods concerned about the proposed housing development on the site of eighteen acres of woods in northeast Ithaca. We oppose the Briarwood II development for many reasons: additional streets, more traffic, more noise and pollution, drainage issues, decreased quality of life, and the needless destruction of woodland habitat.
Below are more detailed answers to some basic questions about our group.
Who founded / organized your group, and how?
Save Sapsucker Woods was formed this past summer, after a group of neighbors attended the Ithaca Town Planning Board meetings in June and July and were dismayed by the lack of public notification and awareness of Briarwood II, and by the haste with which the Planning Board granted it preliminary approval and passed its environmental assessment. The Planning Board, we feel, did not give the vital concerns of citizens enough consideration.
For what purpose has this group been formed?
The purpose of our group is two-fold: first, to demand a broader public dialogue about the effects of this major subdivision and its concomitant loss of woods imposed on our neighborhood. We feel that the prerogatives of private property do not extend so far as to allow a developer to inflict so many adverse consequences on local residents(storm drainage problems, increased traffic and pollution, loss ofopen space, etc.). We feel that if deeper scrutiny were conducted by the Planning Board, Briarwood II would fail on environmental grounds. So our second and ultimate purpose is to prevent Briarwood II from going forward.
Who is involved in this group?
We have people involved from a broad spectrum: local residents whose houses are adjacent to the woodland slated for razing, or who already suffer from drainage problems; residents from throughout Ithaca who share our concern about the loss of open space in our community; and citizens from outside our community who know about the famous Sapsucker Woods and are concerned about its preservation.
What are your reasons for opposing this development?
When we learned of this development, it became clear that the consequences of this subdivision proposal would be profound and prolonged. Members of our group share a commitment to preserve the quality of life in our neighborhood, even as they express diverse reasons for opposing this development. Primary objections include:loss of wildlife habitat; drainage problems for property owners to the west of the subdivision site; loss of open space; and increased traffic and pollution.
Why do you believe the board approved this plan?
The Planning Board granted preliminary approval in July. It is important to keep in mind that final approval is still outstanding, and contingent upon many stipulations, including letters of approval from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers. The developer has been in conversation with the Planning Department and Planning Board for several years, and the Planning Board, apparently, felt that this latest proposal is balanced and appropriate. The Planning Board also determined that there was a lack of public opposition to this campaign, which we think was simply the result of lack of public awareness.
What has the group done to defend their position? What are future plans?
At this stage we believe our most important task is raising awareness about this impending--and excessive--change to our community. In addition, we are petitioning the Planning Board and Town Board to review decisions taken thus far; in our close scrutiny of the Briarwood II proposal we have found many flaws that we intend to bring to the Planning Board's attention, urging them to reconsider their preliminary approval.
Below are more detailed answers to some basic questions about our group.
Who founded / organized your group, and how?
Save Sapsucker Woods was formed this past summer, after a group of neighbors attended the Ithaca Town Planning Board meetings in June and July and were dismayed by the lack of public notification and awareness of Briarwood II, and by the haste with which the Planning Board granted it preliminary approval and passed its environmental assessment. The Planning Board, we feel, did not give the vital concerns of citizens enough consideration.
For what purpose has this group been formed?
The purpose of our group is two-fold: first, to demand a broader public dialogue about the effects of this major subdivision and its concomitant loss of woods imposed on our neighborhood. We feel that the prerogatives of private property do not extend so far as to allow a developer to inflict so many adverse consequences on local residents(storm drainage problems, increased traffic and pollution, loss ofopen space, etc.). We feel that if deeper scrutiny were conducted by the Planning Board, Briarwood II would fail on environmental grounds. So our second and ultimate purpose is to prevent Briarwood II from going forward.
Who is involved in this group?
We have people involved from a broad spectrum: local residents whose houses are adjacent to the woodland slated for razing, or who already suffer from drainage problems; residents from throughout Ithaca who share our concern about the loss of open space in our community; and citizens from outside our community who know about the famous Sapsucker Woods and are concerned about its preservation.
What are your reasons for opposing this development?
When we learned of this development, it became clear that the consequences of this subdivision proposal would be profound and prolonged. Members of our group share a commitment to preserve the quality of life in our neighborhood, even as they express diverse reasons for opposing this development. Primary objections include:loss of wildlife habitat; drainage problems for property owners to the west of the subdivision site; loss of open space; and increased traffic and pollution.
Why do you believe the board approved this plan?
The Planning Board granted preliminary approval in July. It is important to keep in mind that final approval is still outstanding, and contingent upon many stipulations, including letters of approval from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers. The developer has been in conversation with the Planning Department and Planning Board for several years, and the Planning Board, apparently, felt that this latest proposal is balanced and appropriate. The Planning Board also determined that there was a lack of public opposition to this campaign, which we think was simply the result of lack of public awareness.
What has the group done to defend their position? What are future plans?
At this stage we believe our most important task is raising awareness about this impending--and excessive--change to our community. In addition, we are petitioning the Planning Board and Town Board to review decisions taken thus far; in our close scrutiny of the Briarwood II proposal we have found many flaws that we intend to bring to the Planning Board's attention, urging them to reconsider their preliminary approval.
Summary of Briarwood II development proposal
* 47.5 acres of land are included in the proposal.
* 25 acres of wetlands and woods are being offered to Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, which has not officially accepted the offer. These 25 acres are largely wetlands that would unlikely be developed in any case.
* 47 lots (minimum size 15,000 square feet per lot proposed) including both 1-unit and 2-unit houses for a proposed total of 76 dwelling units.
* New streets to be built as extensions of Sanctuary Drive, Birchwood Drive, and North Birchwood Drive, and another street, Lucente Way.
* 25 acres of wetlands and woods are being offered to Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology, which has not officially accepted the offer. These 25 acres are largely wetlands that would unlikely be developed in any case.
* 47 lots (minimum size 15,000 square feet per lot proposed) including both 1-unit and 2-unit houses for a proposed total of 76 dwelling units.
* New streets to be built as extensions of Sanctuary Drive, Birchwood Drive, and North Birchwood Drive, and another street, Lucente Way.
About Sapsucker Woods
In 1909, Ithaca’s master of bird art, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, gave Sapsucker Woods its name after his discovery there of the first Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nest found in the Cayuga Lake basin. Cornell University took ownership of part of that land in the early 1950’s. Since then, much of the surrounding woodland has been developed for housing subdivisions and apartment complexes. The remaining privately-owned woodlands adjacent to Cornell’s property are again in danger. These woods have grown into an established forest, home to numerous species--birds, mammals, plants, trees, and many other forms of life. Although portions of these remaining woods have been disturbed, they are now all part of one forest, on which much life is dependent. For this reason, we consider Sapsucker Woods to extend beyond Cornell’s property boundaries.
